Castle Walls
by Kitara Lira
Summary: The walls we build, no matter how tall and how deep, will forever lack perfection. For it is often from within that it begins to crumble.


_**::Castle Walls::**_

_**K.L. **_

**A/N: **I've been suffering from a writers block for weeks and I just needed something to help ease it, anything really. This is my first attempt at a mash-up. I may continue the story line at a later date but for now it will remain a one-shot. Furthermore this is roughly edited.

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The Glee club was gathered in the auditorium, a hushed whisper floating through the open space. Half a dozen pairs of eyes scrutinized the figure on the stage their whispers laced with malice while the other half dozen were engrossed in their own conversation, paying no heed.

"Mr. Schue," The voice trembled and perhaps had they cared the other Gleeks would have noted the abnormal shade of pale, the dull sheen that coated her skin, or the nervous sway of her body, "I-I…" Her words trailed off and for a brief moment the youth debated running, running so far and so fast that no one would ever catch her. However as if sensing her notion a warm hand fell to her shoulder offering a reassuring squeeze. It was all she needed, "Mr. Schuester I realise the assignment was to be a solo compilation however you also asked that we attempt a selection that bars comfort." Her gaze drifted from that of her teacher to the figure waiting patiently behind her.

The figure was a man in his late twenties. His hair was no more than an inch in length, lightly receded and russet in shade. His orbs were the colour of almonds interspersed with flecks of gold and his skin held a soft glow. If it wasn't for the distinct 8 o'clock shadow and the lack of expensive accessories one would have assumed him to be an individual of high prestige – an undefeated district attorney or even a Royal.

Hazel eyes grew distant – the words she had buried in the inner most depths of her conscious began to surface.

"I do recall the assignment Quinn, however I'm not entirely sure that you understood it completely." The voice of her teacher drew the blonde from her thoughts, her hazel eyes returning to meet the curly haired instructor's. His shoulders rose and fell, and disappointment encompassed his features, "Well there is nothing we can do about it now but please next time Quinn follow the assignment." There was a faint accepting nod from the blonde, "Well the floor is all yours."

There was another squeeze followed by a gentle whisper, "You ready Q-Bear? You know we don't have to do this if you don't want to. By this time tomorrow you'll be on a plane an-"

Blonde locks drifted back and forth, "I have to do this Gabe's," A soft chuckle left her frame, "For closure."

"For closure," Mimicked the man.

Ignorant to the protesting words of her once upon a time friend – Santana – Quinn strode to the piano pausing to supply Brad with a ghost of a smile, "If it's alright with you Brad, I'd like to play this piece." When the man abandoned his post, the young blonde took a seat her hazel eyes seeking out the almond coloured pair several paces back, "Are you ready?"

With a swooping gesture, the man offered a broad smile, "When ever you are m'lady." And had the circumstances been of a different variety Quinn would have laughed.

Moments passed in silence, it was now or never, "Everyone thinks that I have it all," Fingers depressed the keys and their sombre song filled the auditorium. The first few notes that echoed from the strings of the piano were hindered by the nervous shake of slender fingers – everyone was watching, everyone was judging, "But it's so empty living behind these castle walls, these castle walls." However as the measures slipped by, the leering eyes fell from the foreground and all that was left was the piano, "If I should tumble if I should fall," Quinn, "Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls?" And all the memories, "There's no-one here at all. Behind these castle walls." The vocals trailed off while the notes lingered heavy in the air.

From nearby rose a deep voice, "Where have you gone?" It was Gabriel, "Where have you gone?" To Quinn his voice was more soothing than any known lullaby, "Observing the estate through the gate from the outside looking in," Even while rapping, "The belief is that I'm living out a millionaires fantasy," A fragment of a smile captured Quinn's features, there he was spewing out words in a form of music he had always loathed, "But your vision is jaded by the Grammy's on the mantelpiece." And for what? "Just switch your camera lenses you would see the agony. Walk in my nines awhile I dare you, would it scare you?" For Quinn, "Because the camera's don't see beyond the walls of the smiles," Because Quinn couldn't do this alone, "Only counts until it all falls in the pile." Nor would he let her.

"Let the rain wash away the pain yesterday," Quinn felt the lids of her eyes slipping down with the pull of gravity, "Everyone thinks that I have it all but it's so empty living behind these castle walls, these castle walls," Had it been six months ago she would have fought – tooth and nail – not to succumb to the lead weight dragging her down, "I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes," But that was then and this was now. The Quinn of present was exhausted, "But no-one knows that I'm all alone," She was lost, "Living in this castle made of stone," She was fading.

A reassuring voice accompanied her own, "If I should tumble if I should fall would you hear me screaming behind these castle walls?" If only she could be so sure as he perhaps things would have been different.

As her voice faded his took over, "I don't even know if I believe it when I say it," The lyrics that were originally meant to be rapped flowed smoothly from his lips, "Doubt starts to creep in and every day is just so grey and black." It was as if they had always been sung, "Hope, I just need a ray of that. You picked me up, breathed new life in me." Perhaps had he been ten years younger Gabriel would have made an ideal male lead, "Let me turn on the lights," Quinn smirked wryly at the thought, " And Brighten me," He could have been Rachel's Finn, "And enlighten you!"

The piano was drowned out by the drums and bass and Quinn abandoned the comforting ebony and ivory to join Gabriel center stage, "I'm about to lose my mind." Her anthem.

Reaching out, Gabriel was met with nothing but empty air, "You've been gone for so long."

Blonde locks shook to and fro, her voice dropping to a lower register, "I'm running out of time!"

Again he reached out, catching the blonde as she fell back, "I need a doctor, call me a doctor." It was a performance even Rachel Berry could be proud of. It was emotions. It was dramatics.

From his arms she struggled, stumbling away and to the piano as the next lines tumbled from her lips, "I need a doctor, doctor, to bring me back to life."

Once again alone center stage, warm almond eyes cast their gaze outward to the space beyond the embrace of the blinding stage lights, "It hurts when I see you struggle." To his knees he fell, hand clenching the material resting above his breastbone, "Can't make a decision," His eyes turned back in search of hazel orbs, "You keep questioning yourself, second guessing," Releasing the now crumbled material, Gabriel reached out as if only a little further and he would catch her, "And it's almost like your begging for my help."

Quinn tore her gaze from the young man, the lids of her eyes slamming shut as her fingers scurried across the keys desperate to release the emotions that had been building for months if not years, "I'm about to lose my mind, everyone thinks that I have it all." Her chest ached, "If I should tumble if I should fall," Her eyes burned, "I'm running out of time. There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls."

"I can endure no more!" A fist slammed down on the stage startling most if not all of the audience and musicians, "I demand you remember who you are. I'm crying in this booth. You saved my life, now maybe it's my time to save yours."

The rest of the instruments came to a halt, leaving only the broken notes of the piano to bath the audience, "Everyone thinks that I have it all but it's so empty living behind these castle walls, these castle walls," If only she could go back in time, "I'm about to lose my mind," Her voice became no louder than a whisper and the notes filtering through the open air was enough to cause those in the audience to strain to hear, "If I should tumble if I should fall would any one hear me screaming behind these walls?" Quinn let her fingers still, her hazel gaze drifting skyward, "There's no-one here at all… behind these castle walls."

The only sound to echo now was that of her tears – they were drowning, a reminder of the hollowness that rest within her chest. She was falling, crumbling before all. And yet no one noticed – no one cared. She made to escape but comforting arms stilled her; embraced her. Gabriel – her angel – when everyone had left her he remained. When she had lost sight he offered light. When she broke he was there to pick up the pieces. They both knew she was broken, irreparable, a lost cause. And yet here he stood, refusing to leave.

"It's okay Quinn," He tightened his embrace ever so, "I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together."

The tears flowed unrestricted. It was all she needed to hear; all she needed to know. The sobs racked her body. She was no longer alone. She was safe.

**

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A/N: **Gabriel is a fictional character I created for the purpose of this story. He is not her lover and no she is not pregnant again.

Initially the mash up starts with Gabriel rapping but I transitioned is to singing in his second verse. I felt it was appropriate and could be done with the lyrics.

**Note:** The lyrics aren't exact to those in the songs. Minor modifications were made.

**Songs:** T.I. ft Christina Aguilera – Castle Walls; Diddy ft Skylar Grey – Coming Home; Dr. Dre ft Eminem and Skylar Grey – I Need a Doctor


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